British yatchsman dies in Cipper Round the World race (VIDEO)

British yatchsman dies in Cipper Round the World race (VIDEO)
Reuters Video: Sailor dies in round-the-world yacht race
Eddie Redmayne had transgender help for transsexual role
In Shaxi, time stands still for Yunnan’s last ancient market town
Hundreds rally in support of jailed anti-gay US clerk
Iceland, Wales, Northern Ireland look to make Euro football history

Posted: 05 Sep 2015 06:38 PM PDT

LONDON, Sept 6 — British crew member of a yacht taking part in the Clipper Round the World race has died after an accident off the coast of Portugal, his team said in yesterday .

Paramedic Andrew Ashman, 49, was reefing a sail on the IchorCoal entry around midnight on Friday during the first leg from London to Brazil when he was knocked unconscious.

"We are deeply saddened to report the death of crew member Mr Andrew Ashman, our thoughts are with his family at this difficult time," a statement posted on the official website of the race said.

It added: "Andy was knocked unconscious by the mainsheet and possibly the boom (although not confirmed). He was given immediate medical assistance and attempted resuscitation but failed to regain consciousness."

The yacht was diverting to Porto in northern Portugal and was expected to arrive today.

An investigation has been launched, organisers said.

Race founder Robin Knox-Johnston said in a statement: "This is extremely sad news and my heart goes out to his bereaved family and friends, and to his fellow crew. Safety is always our utmost priority, as our record shows, and we shall investigate the incident immediately in full cooperation with the authorities."

The 40,000 nautical mile race offers crewing places to members of the public even without previous sailing experience although Ashman was described as an experienced yachtsman.

It began in London on Aug 30. — ReutersImage from the Reuters video on sailor who dies in yacht race.

Reuters Video: Sailor dies in round-the-world yacht race

Posted: 05 Sep 2015 06:34 PM PDT

Duration: 00:48, Published 6 Sep 2015

A yachtsman taking part in a round-the-world race has died after being hit by a sail, say organisers. — Reuters pic

Eddie Redmayne had transgender help for transsexual role

Posted: 05 Sep 2015 06:22 PM PDT

Eddie Redmayne as transgender pioneer Einar Wegener in 'The Danish Girl'. VENICE, Sept 6 — Eddie Redmayne said transgender people helped him prepare for his portrayal of transsexual pioneer Lili Elbe in "The Danish Girl" that opened yesterday at the Venice Film Festival, even if no transgender person got the main role.

"Across the board the generosity of people was amazing," Redmayne said at a press conference launching the film about Danish landscape painter Einar Wegener.

Wegener was born male in 1882 but began living as a woman after his marriage and had the first of several sex reassignment operations in 1930. She died in 1931 but left diaries and her life was fictionalised in the book "The Danish Girl".

Director Tom Hooper, who made "The King's Speech", said the film industry did not make sufficient use of transgender actors and actresses, but defended his choice of Redmayne to play Elbe.

"I think there's something in Eddie that's drawn to the feminine," Hooper said, citing Redmayne's casting in a woman's role in a stage production of Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night".

"I think also to some extent in our film Lili is presenting as a man for the majority of the film, for about two thirds of the movie, and her transition happens quite late, so I also had to consider that coming to the decision."

Hooper said he had used transgender actors in the film, including Britain's Rebecca Root as a nurse, but said that in general transgender actors and actresses were not used enough in the film industry.

"I feel that within the industry at the moment there is a problem. There is a huge pool of talent in trans actors and the access to parts is limited and so I would champion any shift where the industry can move forward to embrace trans actors."

Redmayne said a couple in Los Angeles, in which the wife stayed with her husband while he made the transition to becoming a woman, as well as Elbe's diaries and the book based on Elbe's life, had helped to form his portrayal.

"So it was ... trying to take all of that information and see if I could find some of those aspects in me," said Redmayne, who won the Oscar for best actor this year for his portrayal of physicist Stephen Hawking in "The Theory of Everything".

"I don't know if I succeeded but what I learned in that process was quite incredible."

The film also stars Alicia Vikander ("Ex-Machina") as Wegener's wife Gerda. It is one of 21 films in competition for the Lion d'Or top prize. — Reuters

In Shaxi, time stands still for Yunnan’s last ancient market town

Posted: 05 Sep 2015 06:20 PM PDT

Every Bai woman who sells at the market carries one such weaved basket on her back. – Pictures BY Vivian ChongSHAXI, Sept 6 — The women walk in silence, briskly with their heads slightly bowed from the weight on their backs. The rattan baskets strapped to their waists and heads are filled to the brim with forest harvests, vegetables from their home gardens, Chinese medicinal herbs and homemade specialty items.

These ladies are from the Bai ethnic group, the second largest minority in Yunnan. In Shaxi, they inhabit the mountainous areas and maintain a matriarchal way of life in which children take on their mothers' family names.

They make their way towards the valley town of Sideng every Friday where a street market bustles from the crack of dawn. There, they lay their offerings on tarpaulin sheets on the ground and join local vendors in plying their goods.

In the centre of Sideng Square stands this tree that's believed to be 300 years oldThe Bai minorities live in the surrounding mountainous areas, and hike about three hours to get to ShaxiFrom the familiar and expected (breakfast on fluffy mantou steamed freshly on the spot, the ubiquitous soup noodles topped with dollops of chilli and coriander) to the exotic (dried rattlesnakes and tortoise carapace at the medicine herbs stall) and downright absurd (coils of human hair for wig-making and cushion stuffing, apparently), nothing is off limits here.

The best spot to hang around is the poultry section, where young chicks and ducklings chirp and quack noisily inside wire or rattan containers while sellers cradle fat hens under their arms, parading their prized produce to lure customers. The buying and selling of chickens is a truly lively affair as fierce haggling ensues between vendor and customer while the bird in question is closely scrutinised before a decision is made. The chook is then weighed and a final price is named.

By late afternoon, the market comes to a close and the Bai ladies retrace their steps home. Their rattan baskets, emptied of the produce they had brought to sell, are full once again with raw ingredients and household items they pick up at the market. It's a routine they carry out dutifully, chatting cheerfully along even though it's a journey of at least several hours each way. They hike past verdant fields of rice and wheat, and 16 sleepy villages that spread out across the Himalayan foothills on north-west Yunnan. It's worth renting a bicycle from the shops in Sideng to explore this scenic countryside on two wheels.

A goatherd watches over while his charge grazes in the verdant fields (left). Chicken buying is a lively, noisy event at the weekly market (right)The market is not only a weekly highlight for the villagers, but is also significant of Shaxi's place in history: It was an important stop on the ancient Tea and Horse Caravan Trail that stretched from Tibet to Myanmar, and predates the Silk Road by 300 years. In those days, horses and animal furs were valuable currencies that merchants traded with for tea, salt and medicine.

The Friday market is held along the main street of Sideng, whereas the original Shaxi Market site is now known as Sideng Square and remains the focal point of the town. The square is encircled by a complex of buildings that served the needs of those ancient merchants, and included guest houses, horse stables, a temple and a theatre stage where performances were held for their entertainment.

The Shaxi Market is considered the most complete surviving example of a trading town along the Trail and for that reason, in 2002, the World Monuments Fund placed it on their Watch List of 100 Most Endangered Sites. The acknowledgement saved Shaxi Market from crumbling into oblivion, and the funding that came with it (USD1.3 million) has been put to good use. Led by Swiss conservationist Jacques Feiner, the Shaxi Rehabilitation Project set about restoring the buildings as well as the defence gates that protected the village.

Bai ladies in their traditional fineries are a common sight in Shaxi Goat’s cheese parcels, wrapped up like traditional gift parcels in dainty handkerchieves Goat's cheese parcels, wrapped up like traditional gift parcels in dainty handkerchievesFeiner's approach focuses on fortifying the existing structures, returning them to their former glory while retaining their original forms. The revived Sideng Square thus has all the authenticity of a centuries-old market town, complete with ancient architecture, cobblestone walkways and a towering tree that's believed to be three centuries old.

The idyllic old world vibe permeates across town, not only seen in the buildings and willow tree-lined roads but also in the people. It is not uncommon to see a man walking his goat or horse around town, or Bai ladies out and about clad in their elaborate traditional ensembles.

Surrounding and within the vicinity of the square, what used to be shelters and resting posts now house a mix of eateries, specialty shops and artisans' studios where goods are still painstakingly made by hand the old-fashioned way.

Exotic surprises await at the herbs and medicine stall (left). Grab a pizza and pasta from Hungry Buddha, and dine al fresco by the river (right)At the Old Town Shoe Shop, an elderly Mr Lee sits patiently in front of a vintage sewing machine facing the open window that looks out to the square. He has since passed the business on to his daughter, he says, but steps in to help out when she's away. Inside the tiny shop, the racks displays traditional embroidered shoes embellished with chinoiserie. The shoes come in several combinations of bold colours and styles that include sandals, Mary Janes, wedges and boots, and you can customise a pair to your liking.

Next door, a family of young silversmiths are hard at work, melting, welding and knocking late into the night as they rush to build up a stockpile of designs. The approaching Golden Week holidays promise to bring a deluge of travellers to Shaxi, and they want to ensure they have enough goods to cash in on the rush.

Diagonally opposite, Old Street is a laidback bar with tatami-style seating upstairs and a picnic table outside if you prefer to people watch over ice cold beer or their homemade fruit wines. Next door, you can buy a variety of mushrooms — a Yunnan specialty — including the very aromatic, truffle-like song rong (pine mushrooms, or Matsutake Tricholoma) that's highly prized by the Japanese.

Further up from Old Street, the tiny Wood Fish cafe seats only six and everything is made fresh upon order. On the small menu are easy favourites like burgers, sandwiches, fried rice and homemade breads.

Loose tea leaves, sold by weightQuiet and bucolic, Shaxi is still much of a hidden travel gemMore substantial offerings can be had at Karma Cafe, where local and Western dishes can be enjoyed with a selection of Bai and Tibetan delights, served fine dining style within a casual atmosphere. The food is of excellent quality, featuring the freshest locally sourced ingredients, as is the service. The cafe is actually part of the Laomadian guesthouse, a heritage boutique accommodation in a 150-year-old courtyard building that was originally a caravanserai (Persian for roadside inn). Rooms are tastefully dressed in a mix of modern amenities and traditional furnishings. Owner A Fang, a Taiwanese who speaks fluent English, welcomes guests warmly and will sit down for a chat if she's not busy running around. She splits her time between Shaxi and Lijiang, where she operates a second outlet of Karma Cafe and Laomadian.

On the same row as Karma towards the East Gate end is Hungry Buddha cafe, owned by Italian chef Maurino Anzideo and his Chinese wife Ai Xin, which specialises in organic vegetarian fare. Everything is made from scratch with ingredients from the Friday market — including cheese, made using local milk. Their specialty is thin crust pizza, delightfully crispy with well balanced flavours. Hungry Buddha has limited bar stool seating, so it's best to grab your pizza and pasta to go. Walk through the East Gate and you will arrive at the Heihui riverside promenade which, on a balmy evening and looking out towards the Huazhong mountain range, makes for the perfect picnic cum vantage spot.

Most of Shaxi's eateries close early, with Old Tree Cafe among the few exceptions. The first Western-style cafe to open here, in 2005, it is run by an elderly couple who relocated from Shandong in search of a restful retirement. The warm and homey interiors are as inviting as the food, a mix of Chinese favourites and Western classics. Espresso-based coffee drinks are served along with beer, juices and fresh homemade yoghurt.

Old Tree Cafe was the first Western-style bar to open in Shaxi (left). This ornate theatre was part of World Monument Fund's restoration project in Shaxi (right)You can sip your choice of night cap at the outdoor seating area, which looks out to the centuries-old scholar tree that inspired the cafe's name. It's just the place to be to wind down while soaking in the serenity of the old market square before retiring for the night.

A few doors away is one of Sideng's most popular accommodations, the hostel-style Horse Pen 46, which occupies a traditional Bai courtyard home built in the sanfang yizhaobi architectural style that translates into "three houses, one front wall".Its name and room types — named Foal, Pony or Mustang Stalls — are a nod to Shaxi's market town era.

Song rong, one of Yunnan’s specialty mushrooms, has the aroma that recalls truffles Song rong, one of Yunnan's specialty mushrooms, has the aroma that recalls trufflesThose days may be long gone, but on-going preservation efforts ensure that Shaxi's legacy continues, its bucolic charm further protected by the languid pace and "time stands still" spirit that envelops life here. Still largely hidden from the typical Yunnan tourist trail — most travellers bypass Shaxi for Dali and Lijiang — those who do find their way here could well find themselves drawn to visit again and again, not unlike the tea-trading merchants who once journeyed here by horse caravans.

Shaxi travel info

Getting there The nearest international airport is in Kunming; from there, you can take a domestic flight to Dali Airport and then catch a bus to Jianchuan, which is about five hours away. Just outside the bus station, look for vans that are headed to Shaxi. The ride doesn't take more than 45 minutes.

Works of art - handmade canvas shoes embellished with chinoiserie (left). Knitting to while her time (right)From Kunming, you can also take a train to Dali, a journey of between five and eight hours depending on which service you take. It's best to reserve your tickets in advance as rail travel is very popular in China and seats sell out fast. Bookings can be made up to 60 days ahead, through websites like www.travelchinaguide.com and www.chinaticketonline.com

Best time to visit March-June and September-October, when temperatures are mild. Note that the first week of October is the Golden Week holidays across China, so hotel and transport rates will be higher.

Combine your visit with Other popular destinations in Yunnan are Dali, Lijiang and Shangri-La, all of which are within easy bus access from Shaxi via Jianchuan.

Vivian Chong is a freelance travel and lifestyle writer. Read more of her nomadic adventures at http://thisbunnyhops.com

Hundreds rally in support of jailed anti-gay US clerk

Posted: 05 Sep 2015 06:18 PM PDT

Supporters rally at the Carter County Detention Centre for Kim Davis, who remains in jail for contempt of court in Grayson, Kentucky September 5, 2015. — Reuters picWASHINGTON, Sept 6 — Hundreds rallied yesterday as a show of support for the US clerk who was sent to jail this week for refusing to issue same-sex marriage licences, local media reported.

Kim Davis, jailed since Thursday for contempt of court, refused to issue the licenses due to her opposition to gay marriage, which the US Supreme Court legalized across the United States in June.

A born-again Christian, Davis says God's authority trumps the laws her job requires her to follow.

The mayor of Grayson, Kentucky, where she is being held, agrees.

"You play a role in this moment of history and may God bless you and God bless Kim Davis," Mayor George Steele told the crowd at the rally, according to local broadcaster WKYT.

Many of the supporters made the 128-kilometre trek from neighbouring Rowan County, where Davis is employed, the channel said.

The pink-and-beige detention centre at the end of dead-end street in 4,000-person Grayson has become an epicenter for the culture war over gay marriage, seemingly resolved by the Supreme Court's decision.

While Judge David Bunning has said Davis can be released as soon as she agrees to issue marriage licenses to anyone who qualifies, as her position requires, or resigns from that position, she can be held indefinitely if she refuses to do so.

Her attorney said Friday she has no intention to resign or to "violate her conscience and betray her God."

Outside in the sunny parking lot, the supporters admired her defiance.

"She was in good spirits last night (..) She was joking and laughing, saying honey I'm just as comfortable as can be. She'll be fine," her husband, Joe Davis, told WKYT.

A larger rally has been planned for Tuesday by Republican presidential candidate and minister Mike Huckabee, who plans to visit Davis in jail and then protest outside against what he calls the "criminalisation of Christianity in this country." — AFP

Iceland, Wales, Northern Ireland look to make Euro football history

Posted: 05 Sep 2015 06:08 PM PDT

Iceland's team celebrate their victory over the Netherlands with their fans after their Euro 2016 qualifying match in Amsterdam, September 3, 2015. — Reuters picPARIS, Sept 6 — The second of back-to-back matchdays in qualifying for Euro 2016 runs from today to Tuesday. AFP Sports looks at what is at stake over the next three days:

Who can qualify?

Iceland are on the brink of making history and qualifying for a major tournament finals for the first time — after beating the Netherlands 1-0 in Amsterdam on Thursday, the island nation need only draw at home to a Kazakhstan side who have registered just one point so far in Group A.

The Czech Republic can join them if they win in Lithuania and the Netherlands fail to win in Turkey. "Let's talk about facts, not ifs and maybes," said a cautious Iceland coach Heimir Hallgrímsson as he warned against complacency. "If Turkey win their games, they can take top spot in the group, so we have to win against Kazakhstan on Sunday — we are planning to do that and are focusing on it."

History can also be made in Group B, where Wales will seal qualification for a major finals for the first time since 1958 if they can beat Israel in Cardiff. "There's going to be a fantastic atmosphere, but we mustn't get caught up in it because if you do that you stop thinking about what got you there in the first place," warned Wales manager Chris Coleman.

In Group F, Northern Ireland can qualify for a first European Championship, and a first major tournament since 1986, by beating so far undefeated Hungary in Belfast tomorrow. In addition, Austria, whose only previous finals appearance came as co-hosts in 2008, will be there from Group G if they draw in Sweden, or if Russia fail to win in Liechtenstein.

Elsewhere, Slovakia will be through to a first European Championship from Group C with a win against Ukraine.

World Cup holders Germany can clinch their finals berth from Group D if they win in Scotland and Ireland suffer an unlikely defeat at home to Georgia.

Switzerland would join England in qualifying from Group E with a win at Wembley combined with Estonia failing to win in Slovenia, and Portugal will be through from Group I if they win in Albania and Denmark lose in Armenia.

Who is in trouble?

After losing 1-0 at home to Iceland in their first game under new coach Danny Blind, the Netherlands face Turkey away in a huge game for both nations in qualifying Group A.

A defeat for the Dutch would leave them in fourth spot and would end their chances of finishing in the top two if the Czech Republic were to take anything in Latvia, seriously compromising their hopes of reaching the finals in France in the process.

That said, the game in central Turkey is similarly crucial for the hosts, whose only wins so far have come against Kazakhstan.

Bosnia and Herzegovina's chances of appearing at a first European Championship finals are hanging by a thread after they lost 3-1 in Belgium last Thursday.

Mehmed Bazdarevic's side should see off Andorra in Zenica, but if Group B rivals Belgium win in Cyprus and section leaders Wales take something at home to Israel, the Bosnians will not be able to finish in the top two, leaving them probably having to settle for a play-off place at best.

In Group D, Scotland will be in huge trouble if they lose at home to Germany and Poland and Ireland win their respective games. That would leave Gordon Strachan's side four points behind third-placed Ireland with two games to go.

"I think we have to pick up something to make sure that everyone knows that we are still there. We are still in it so we have to get over the disappointment," Strachan said after Friday's demoralising defeat in Georgia.

Rooney targets record

England have already qualified so the focus when they face Switzerland at Wembley will be on whether Wayne Rooney can pass Bobby Charlton's England record of 49 international goals after he equalled it yesterday in the 6-0 win in San Marino that allowed Roy Hodgson's side to secure qualification for next year's finals in France.

Euro 2016 qualifying fixtures — today (kick-offs 1845 GMT unless stated):

Group A

At Riga (1600 GMT)

Latva v Czech Republic

At Konya, Turkey (1600 GMT)

Turkey v Netherlands

At Reykjavik

Iceland v Kazakhstan

Group B

At Cardiff (1600 GMT)

Wales v Israel

At Zenica

Bosnia and Herzegovina v Andorra

At Nicosia

Cyprus v Belgium

Group H

At Ta'Qali, Malta (1600 GMT)

Malta v Azerbaijan

At Oslo (1600 GMT)

Norway v Croatia

At Palermo, Italy

Italy v Bulgaria

Tomorrow: Group D

At Warsaw

Poland v Gibraltar

At Dublin

Ireland v Georgia

At Glasgow, Scotland

Scotland v Germany

Group F

At Helsinki

Finland v Faroe Islands

At Belfast

Northern Ireland v Hungary

At Bucharest

Romania v Greece

Group I

At Yerevan (1600 GMT)

Armenia v Denmark

At Elbasan

Albania v Portugal

Tuesday: Group C

At Barysaw, Belarus

Belarus v Luxembourg

At Skopje

Macedonia v Spain

At Zilina

Slovakia v Ukraine

Group E

At London

England v Switzerland

At Vilnius

Lithuania v San Marino

At Maribor, Slovenia

Slovenia v Estonia

Group G

At Vaduz

Liechtenstein v Russia

At Chisinau

Moldova v Montenegro

At Solna, Sweden

Sweden v Austria — AFP